He was the Sultan of Swat. The Caliph of Clout. The Wizard of Whack. The Bambino. And simply, to his teammates, the Big Bam. From the award-winning author of the New York Times bestseller Ted Williams comes the thoroughly original, definitively ambitious, and exhilaratingly colorful biography of the largest legend ever to loom in baseball--and in the history of organized sports.
"[Montville is] one of America's best sportswriters." --Chicago Tribune
Babe Ruth was more than baseball's original superstar. For eighty-five years, he has remained the sport's reigning titan. He has been named Athlete of the Century . . . more than once. But who was this large, loud, enigmatic man? Why is so little known about his childhood, his private life, and his inner thoughts? In The Big Bam, Leigh Montville, whose recent New York Times bestselling biography of Ted Williams garnered glowing reviews and offered an exceptionally intimate look at Williams's life, brings his trademark touch to this groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the Babe.
Based on newly discovered documents and interviews--including pages from Ruth's personal scrapbooks --The Big Bam traces Ruth's life from his bleak childhood in Baltimore to his brash entrance into professional baseball, from Boston to New York and into the record books as the world's most explosive slugger and cultural luminary. Montville explores every aspect of the man, paying particular attention to the myths that have always surrounded him. Did he really hit the "called shot" homer in the 1932 World Series? Were his home runs really "the farthest balls ever hit" in countless ballparks around the country? Was he really part black--making him the first African American professional baseball superstar? And was Ruth the high-octane, womanizing, heavy-drinking "fatso" of legend . . . or just a boyish, rudderless quasi-orphan who did, in fact, take his training and personal conditioning quite seriously?
At a time when modern baseball is grappling with hyper-inflated salaries, free agency, and assorted controversies, The Big Bam brings back the pure glory days of the game. Leigh Montville operates at the peak of his abilities, exploring Babe Ruth in a way that intimately, and poignantly, illuminates a most remarkable figure.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Makes You Shake Your Head In Amazement:

I can't recall how many times I just shook my head in amazement while reading this book about Babe Ruth. I knew he was one-of-a-kind, but how much so I didn't know until I read this fascinating book. Nobody but nobody led a life and accomplished feats - with the possible exception of Wilt Chamberlain - on a sporting field like Babe Ruth. Off the field, well, it's safe to say even Wilt couldn't match the Babe in outrageous comments and behavior - both good and bad.
I'm not an expert on Ruth, but I've... more info

He was Babe Ruth, dammit!:

He was a hero to millions and known by an assortment of names: The Sultan of Swat, The Colossus of Clout, The Great Bambino, and on and on and on. Fans called him The Babe, but his teammates called him The Bam. He is legendary for his ability to smash home runs, setting a record that stood until only recently (and many will argue that it still stands), and nearly every one was "the longest ball ever hit" in that park. Legend has it that near the end of his career he even had the arrogance to point to the... more info

The greatest Baseball Player Period!:

The legend and lore of Babe Ruth has filled thousands of pages and many Movie and TV scripts. Leigh Montville has put together the ultimate story of the great Babe Ruth.
Montville has done all the due diligence. He describes the Babe in his early youth in Baltimore. His matriculation at St. Mary's Industrial School was indeed an accomplishment The scheming of Jack Dunn and the buying of the contract for the Baltimore Orioles came to roost. Babe's entry into Major League ball with the Boston Red Sox... more info

Achilles in Pinstripes:

Leigh Montville's The Big Bam is an exhaustively researched book on the life and times of Babe Ruth. Even for the non-sports fan, this book reads like the best of fiction, with a huge personality at its center and a fascinating exploration of how that personality influenced a generation of post war Americans. Entertaining and informative, Montville never shirks from probing into the faults and flaws of this iconic athlete. The book's triumph is in its evocation of supreme glory fading away with time, age,... more info

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